4. Infant and Under-five Mortality

4.1 Achieving low rates of infant and under-five mortality is of central importance for social well-being and human development. Sri Lanka has been extraordinarily successful in reducing its infant and child mortality rates over the last half-century. Indeed, over the period 1946-2000, Sri Lanka has been one of the most successful developing countries in the world in terms of infant and child mortality reduction. The infant mortality rate fell from 141 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 1946 to a mere 13 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2000 (Figure 4.1).